Microcantilevers are microelectromechanical system (MEMS) devices that can comprise a micro-scale beam anchored at one end (for example, to a substrate). Among their many applications, they can be used as sensing devices in Scanning Probe Microscopes (SPMs). SPMs can use the microcantilever coupled with a complex and bulky laser system to measure the microcantilever's movements and provide a 3-D nanoscale image of physical surfaces, properties of cells and biological tissues, precise nanoscale weight of nanoparticles, and other measurements.
Furthermore, current systems only measure the deflection of the cantilever at one location, for example, the end of the cantilever. This can lead to measurement errors. This may occur, for example, if nanoscale forces are applied to other locations of the cantilever, if the nanoscale force is not applied uniformly along the cantilever, or if the measurement system is defective.
Therefore, what are needed are devices, systems and methods that overcome challenges in the present art.